Staying in Lucea, Jamaica was just a fantastic experience - far beyond my expectations.  Perhaps it was how I was reminded of the homeland "Aotearoa".  

Each day, we would sit out on the front verandah with our host family, interacting with the people as they passed by.  Walking was a common, everyday activity - easily putting in 10 miles ambling into town; across to the other side of town to the infirmary bringing some joy to the sickly people who called it home (uno - card games; jewellery making); soaking up the sun and the beautiful ocean water. 

Rooming with Reesa, writing in our journals each day, looking out for each other while we negotiated our way around the local places:  built a special camaraderie.   The most challenging adjustment for us was not the way we had to take cold showers (spray 30 seconds, soap up, then rinse off) but contending with being woken up by a blaring home audio system at 4.30 or 5am.   We loved the plentiful fresh fruit:  mangoes could be picked up as we walked around and eaten.  

The people were exceptionally friendly and appreciative of our community service efforts in the town.  I loved going to the Lucea Primary School to offer my expertise in the area  of Reading/Composition Writing and Social Studies.  Reading to the children at the community library - the eager faces of the children as they interacted with the story reading along and making predictions; just priceless.

Poverty was everywhere; yet so were smiling faces and a contentment in the way people lived their lives which I had not seen in the USA and back in New Zealand, seldom see nowadays.  Alas, as New Zealand has grown, it has many aspects of modern American society which should not be emulated:   self-obsession with staying young; unhealthy competition without regard for others; disgusting behavior; no sense of community.

In Lucea, everyone was included in the community - God Fearing church attenders walked alongside the rastas; people peddled their wares; had their own little enterprises; looked out for each other; exchanged goods and services in a refreshingly good humored way.  It was simply inspiring.

I even went to far as getting my hair fully braided

It was to be expected that I would be stopped at Immigration/Passport Control on my re-entry to the USA.  White girl wearing braids; this can't be the same person as in the passport photo?

My host family gave us Jamaican music to bring back to share with the rest of our group.  Will remain as an alltime favorite place in my heart and soul.  Would love to go back again one day and visit the people again.

This experience is nothing like the tourist experience - the shopping in Lucea offered an opportunity to patronage the locals who live off very small incomes.  Anyone reading this blog - I encourage you to make the town of Lucea a shopping stop; it's not pretty like the pristine tourist resorts - it's just a real place where the real Jamaicans live and you can get yourself a taste of the Real Jamaica Mon!

Lest I forget, the excursion to nearby Dolphin Mountain was a hidden delight - and a reminder to us not to ignore weather forecasts:  when it predicts a downpour at 1pm you better be off the mountain!   Instead, we were standing victoriously at the summit when the heavens opened up...

Needless to say, shivering and soaking - wringing out my hair; clothes and emptying my shoes of water; still didn't damper the whole experience.  A great jungle nature experience - not to be missed if you are an outdoors adventurer.  Just make sure you have a good pair of shoes and relatively fit to goat climb (goats are amazingly agile and surefooted, a prerequisite if you don't want to find yourself falling flat on your rump).

I will add pictures to an album soon.